Tales of Troy Ulysses the Sacker of Cities

Page: 27

So all in close array, helmet touching helmet and shield touching
shield, like a moving wall of shining bronze, the men of Achilles charged,
and Patroclus, in the chariot led the way. Down they came at full
speed on the flank of the Trojans, who saw the leader, and knew the
bright armour and the horses of the terrible Achilles, and thought that
he had returned to the war. Then each Trojan looked round to see
by what way he could escape, and when men do that in battle they soon
run by the way they have chosen. Patroclus rushed to the ship
of Protesilaus, and slew the leader of the Trojans there, and drove
them out, and quenched the fire; while they of Troy drew back from the
ships, and Aias and the other unwounded Greek princes leaped among them,
smiting with sword and spear. Well did Hector know that the break
in the battle had come again; but even so he stood, and did what he
might, while the Trojans were driven back in disorder across the ditch,
where the poles of many chariots were broken and the horses fled loose
across the plain.

The horses of Achilles cleared the ditch, and Patroclus drove them
between the Trojans and the wall of their own town, slaying many men,
and, chief of all, Sarpedon, king of the Lycians; and round the body
of Sarpedon the Trojans rallied under Hector, and the fight swayed this
way and that, and there was such a noise of spears and swords smiting
shields and helmets as when many woodcutters fell trees in a glen of
the hills. At last the Trojans gave way, and the Greeks stripped
the armour from the body of brave Sarpedon; but men say that Sleep and
Death, like two winged angels, bore his body away to his own country.
Now Patroclus forgot how Achilles had told him not to pursue the Trojans
across the plain, but to return when he had driven them from the ships.
On he raced, slaying as he went, even till he reached the foot of the
wall of Troy. Thrice he tried to climb it, but thrice he fell
back.

Hector was in his chariot in the gateway, and he bade his squire
lash his horses into the war, and struck at no other man, great or small,
but drove straight against Patroclus, who stood and threw a heavy stone
at Hector; which missed him, but killed his charioteer. Then Patroclus
leaped on the charioteer to strip his armour, but Hector stood over
the body, grasping it by the head, while Patroclus dragged at the feet,
and spears and arrows flew in clouds around the fallen man. At
last, towards sunset, the Greeks drew him out of the war, and Patroclus
thrice charged into the thick of the Trojans. But the helmet of
Achilles was loosened in the fight, and fell from the head of Patroclus,
and he was wounded from behind, and Hector, in front, drove his spear
clean through his body. With his last breath Patroclus prophesied:
“Death stands near thee, Hector, at the hands of noble Achilles.”
But Automedon was driving back the swift horses, carrying to Achilles
the news that his dearest friend was slain.